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The technology platform for providing "<keyword id="22918315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="frictionless-credit" source="keywords">frictionless credit</keyword>" launched by the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reserve-Bank-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reserve Bank of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reserve Bank of India">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) last year as a pilot project will soon be introduced nationwide soon, said Reserve Banks of India Governor, <keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> on Monday. This technology platform will be named "<keyword id="22918314" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unified-Lending-Interface" source="keywords">Unified Lending Interface</keyword> (ULI)", Das said while speaking in Bengaluru at the event of the Global Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies. Governor Das said "Just like <keyword id="19900911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UPI" source="keywords">UPI</keyword> transformed the payments ecosystem, we expect that ULI will play a similar role in transforming the lending space in India. The 'new trinity' of JAM-UPI-ULI will be a revolutionary step forward in India's <keyword id="20018890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-infrastructure" source="keywords">digital infrastructure</keyword> journey." The ULI platform facilitates a seamless and consent-based flow of digital information, including even land records of various states, from multiple data service providers to lenders. The technology platform introduced last year as a pilot projects cuts down the time taken for credit appraisal, especially for small and rural borrowers. Das stated that the ULI architecture has common and standardised APIs, designed for a 'plug and play' approach to ensure digital access to information from diverse sources. "This reduces the complexity of multiple technical integrations. It enables borrowers to get the benefit of seamless delivery of credit, and quicker turnaround time without requiring extensive documentation. By digitising access to customer's financial and non-financial data that otherwise resided in disparate silos, ULI is expected to cater to large unmet demand for credit across various sectors, particularly for agricultural and MSME borrowers," the RBI governor stated. Showing confidence in the newly launched ULI, Das said, "Just like UPI transformed the payments ecosystem, "we expect that ULI will play a similar role in transforming the lending space in India." Speaking about the success of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) Das said, "The current ecosystem of digital payments in India offers a bouquet of simple, safe, and secure options for instant or quick transfer of funds, both large and small value, for businesses and individuals." Das further stated stated that the apex bank is consistently trying to secure the financial system in the country. "We are constantly working on devising policies, approaches, systems and platforms that will make our financial sector stronger, nimble and customer-centric," Das said. Additionally, Das also highlighted that the central bank is constantly working on devising policies, systems, and platforms that will make the financial sector stronger, nimble and customer-centric. Das said that over the last decade, the traditional banking system has undergone an unprecedented technological transformation. By all indications, this process is likely to become even more intense in the coming years, he said. On the country's experience in DPI, he said, "DPI has enabled India to achieve in less than a decade levels of financial inclusion that would have otherwise taken several decades or even more" He also emphasised that UPI system has the potential to evolve into a cheaper and quicker alternative to available channels of cross-border remittances. The Governor also stressed that financial institutions should be abundantly mindful of associated risks of Artificial Intelligence.

After UPI, RBI set to launch Unified Lending Interface (ULI) for friction-less credit

The Indian <keyword id="22196321" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-card-industry" source="keywords">credit card industry</keyword> is struggling to grow, as new issues slow down on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. Not only has the growth i.e. issuance of new credit cards slowed down, but lenders are also becoming increasingly cautious of the asset qualities, a recent report by Nomura showed. From 19% in July 2024, the growth in the <keyword id="6368202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-card" source="Orion">credit card</keyword> spendings came down to 13% in August 2024. The year-to-date (YTD) growth has also significantly declined in FY25, currently standing at 17%, markedly down from 28% in FY24. For the fifth consecutive month, the number of new credit cards added to the system remained well below the 1-million, or 10 lakh mark. Around 9.2 lakh credit cards were added during the month, a slight uptick from the 7.55 lakh cards that came into the system In July 2024. However, there is growth in this space nevertheless, with about 10.55 crore active credit cards at present, marking a 15.6% YoY increase. Even the annualised spend per card, or the average amount spent via an annual card during an year grew 1% YoY to Rs 1.87 lakh. But this was far less than the 7% growth annual spends via one credit card saw in FY24. Meanwhile, what continues to burgeon consistently is the outstanding amount on these credit cards, which ballooned to Rs 2.7 lakh crore in June 2024, up from Rs 2.6 lakh crore in March 2024, and around Rs 2 lakh crore in the year ago period. To put this in perspective, pre-pandemic, the total outstanding amount stood at Rs 87,686 crore, which marks a 24% CAGR in this amount, in just a span of 5 years. <h2>Large drops, slowdown to sustain</h2>Even the monthly expenditure per card dropped 2% YoY to Rs 16,000 in August, 2024. Subsequently, the transaction volume via credit cards also dipped to 1.6% in August, along with the total amount of <keyword id="21084888" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="credit-card-spending" source="keywords">credit card spending</keyword>, which fell to Rs 1.69 lakh crore in August, from Rs 1.73 lakh crore in July. Also, there has been a hefty cutdown in provisions made for credit card reward points, which reflects in the quantum of credit card benefits that have been mowed out by companies of late, making credit cards far less lucrative than before. <h2>HDFC takes lead </h2>During August 2024, <keyword id="19895995" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HDFC-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="HDFC Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="HDFC Bank">HDFC bank</keyword> added a total of 2.41 lakh credit cards, taking its total tally of active credit cards to 2.19 crore. <keyword id="19900482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ICICI Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ICICI Bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> came a second distant, adding 1.45 lakh credit cards during the month, which means that the second-largest credit card issuer now holds over 1.75 crore active credit cards. Axis Bank and SBI Cards also added 1.27 lakh and 1.1 lakh cards, respectively to their repertoire during the month, while the growth numbers at Kotak Mahindra Bank remained largely flat, stagnating the bank's total card tally at 54.13 lakh. This was due to the ongoing ban on the bank due to its weak IT infrastructural issues imposed by RBI in April 2024. If anything, the bank's number of credit cards declined by 61,191 during the month. Even as the festive season approaches, experts think that it is unlikely to make a major dent in credit card spendings, which are expected to see a further slowdown in the quarters to come.

Credit card growth experiencing a slowdown, as borrowers struggle to pay back loans

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Private lending is now Blackstone's largest business by assets, up 22% since last year.</li><li>COO Jon Gray said it's "very early days" for the burgeoning business.</li></ul>Blackstone made its name buying <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackstone-employee-ownership-program-hvac-company-copeland-kkr-2024-10">undervalued companies</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/commercial-real-estate-market-bottom-crash-blackstone-goldman-sachs-2024-3">real estate.</a> But in the third quarter of this year, the company's burgeoning credit arm was the star of the show.In reporting earnings on Thursday, the New York-based buyout firm said its business of cobbling together and investing in loans is now its largest unit by assets. The so-called credit and insurance division boasts assets under management of $354.7 billion, up 22% over last year. By contrast, Blackstone's private-equity business manages $344.7 billion, and its real-estate investing arm, the firm's largest business at the start of the quarter, has $325.1 billion."Today, we manage the largest third-party private credit business in the world," Blackstone's President and Chief Operating Officer, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jon-gray-blackstone-profile-succession-schwarzman-interview-ceo-bumble-oatly-2021-1?r=gray-teaser">Jonathan Gray</a>, said in a call to discuss the firm's financial results. "We have one of the largest, if not the largest, businesses in direct lending, CLOs, real estate debt, and private investment-grade credit," Gray added.Blackstone's private-credit coronation comes as the alternative investments industry increasingly turns toward a growing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/private-credit-lenders-middle-market-deals-2023-11">opportunity in non-bank lending</a>. A combination of high interest rates and a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rates-bank-failures-commercial-real-estate-us-economy-outlook-2024-5">banking crisis</a> that has considerably slowed bank lending has increased demand for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamie-dimon-private-credit-market-risks-retail-investors-debt-investing-2024-5">non-bank loans</a>. Since these lenders often charge higher interest rates, institutional investors are also clamoring to provide capital for these loans to juice fixed-income returns.Blackstone has been tapping into investor demand for private loans in recent months, including what Gray described as a "dramatic increase in demand for all forms of investment grade private credit."Both Gray and Blackstone founder and CEO Steve Schwarzman, meanwhile, seem to think Blackstone's private-credit boom is just getting started."We are building a third-party performing credit juggernaut, and we expect our business to grow significantly from here," Gray said.<h2 id="8b520868-07a0-4e48-a432-8f3b351a93f6">The largest third-party lender</h2>While Blackstone now claims to be the largest third-party credit provider, Apollo is the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apollo-global-management-investor-day-presentation-one-trillion-private-lending-2024-10">largest non-bank lender</a> with $562 billion in private credit assets under management. Apollo has relied on Athene, an insurance company it owns, to lend, while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackstone-private-credit-investment-strategy-2022-10">Blackstone has focused on investing others' money</a>, forming strategic partnerships with four insurance companies, including Resolution Life, and financial advisory relationships with another 20.Gray expects the insurance industry to continue writing checks to private credit investors, especially in direct lending, a $25 trillion opportunity that's still in "very early days."Gray said that Blackstone's focus on partnering with investors, instead of competing with them by having its own insurance company, will help the business grow."We're not in the market <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-rowan-profile-ceo-apollo-global-management-leon-black-2021-8">selling annuities</a>," Gray said. "We are a third-party investment manager, and that definitely helps the conversations and helps our momentum here."Gray said the firm sees more pension funds and sovereign wealth clients moving into the space as well."I think over time it's going to move beyond insurance," he said." We're having good dialogue with pension clients. I think we'll see sovereign wealth funds start to do this as well.".Blackstone's private credit arm has generated 16.7% in returns over the last twelve months, though falling interest rates "put some pressure on absolute returns," Gray said. He expects investors to continue to flock to the strategy so long as it can produce returns at a premium to traditional fixed-income investments.<h2 id="c6df9c62-15a3-4bb8-8fe8-7ddacc78d287">"Broad-based acceleration"</h2>Blackstone on Thursday reported distributable earnings, or cash that pays dividends, of $1.3 billion, up 6% over last year — and beating expectations. Total assets under management climbed 10% from last year to $1.1 trillion. The firm's stock price approached its all-time high of $172 a share in midday trading amid what Steve Schwarzman described as a "broad-based acceleration across our businesses."The firm has been making a record number of investments over the last few months, especially in commercial real estate. Blackstone executives <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-blackstones-real-estate-buying-spree-as-valuations-plummet-2024-5">called a CRE bottom</a> earlier this year, and the company has deployed more than $24 billion into real estate debt and equity over the last twelve months.It's also been investing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackstone-steve-schwarzman-on-ai-infrastructure-investment-goals-2024-7">big in AI infrastructure</a>, particularly data centers, which will power the artificial intelligence revolution. In September, the firm announced said it would acquire AirTrunk, the largest data center platform in the Asia-Pacific region, in a $16 billion deal alongside the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.With $70 billion worth of data centers, and over $100 billion of prospective development, Schwarzman said the firm has become "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackstones-data-center-bets-have-climbed-10-fold-to-100-billion-2024-4">the largest data center provider in the world</a>" in only three years.Opportunities to cash out of investments to drive returns for investors continue to remain sluggish, however. On Thursday, both Schwarzman and Gray said there are plenty of signs that dealmaking is bouncing back, spurred by expectations for lower rates.Gray said the firm's private-equity nondisclosure agreements were up 2.5 times in September compared with the same time last year, suggesting an increase in discussions about potential deals.Gray also predicted <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-omada-health-confidentially-filed-s1-ipo-public-2024-10">growing demand for IPOs</a>, which could help the firm sell some assets and generate returns for its LPs and fees for shareholders and employees.Gray described a meeting he went to this week where the IPO discussion had gone from "theoretical to the practical." Gray said the discussion is now along the lines of, "What's the right size? Should we do it in February or April?"

Inside Blackstone's growing 'credit juggernaut'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sen. Ted Cruz has an issue with signage touting projects funded by the 2021 infrastructure law.</li><li>Construction sites across the US note that projects were made possible by the Biden-signed law.</li></ul>Across the United States, scores of construction sites are emblazoned with signs that read: "Project Funded By President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."For many people, it's an innocuous notation of the thousands of projects financed by the sweeping <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-laws-us-infrastructure-invest-funding-2024-3">$1.2 trillion infrastructure law</a> Biden signed into law in 2021 and was backed by both Democrats and a sizable contingent of Republicans.Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was not one of them.Cruz is now pushing for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/21/biden-infrastructure-signs-cruz-00164446">government probe</a> into whether the Biden administration has run afoul of the Hatch Act by using taxpayer funds to promote the law's impact, according to Politico.In a letter obtained by Politico, Cruz argues that the Biden administration has "highly politicized" the infrastructure law, pointing to the signs that explicitly state that projects were made possible by the legislation and include the president's name.Cruz, in the letter, then argues that Biden "unilaterally rebranded" the bipartisan infrastructure law as "President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," which passed the House by 228-206 votes and the Senate by 69-30 votes."I write to refer this to you for investigation as a possible violation of the Hatch Act, federal law that broadly prohibits using taxpayer dollars for campaign activity," Cruz said in the letter addressed to the Office of the Special Counsel's Hampton Dellinger. "Congress, not President Biden, wrote [the infrastructure law], and it did not do so to aid the President's reelection campaign.""These displays are nothing more than campaign yard signs courtesy of the American taxpayer," the senator added, according to Politico.Cruz <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-democrats-and-146-infrastructure-bill-is-a-gateway-drug-to-more-reckless-spending">vociferously opposed the law</a> and voted against its passage.White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson told Politico in a statement that the project signs "promote transparency and inform taxpayers how federal dollars are being spent.""If Senator Cruz were half as concerned about Texas kids getting safe drinking water as he is about signs, he might have voted for the Infrastructure Law and to send $31 billion to tackle essential infrastructure needs across Texas," the statement added.According to Politico, Cruz also said the "Investing in America" logo was "purposefully designed to look like the Biden-Harris campaign logo."The infrastructure law — by far Biden's signature domestic accomplishment — is being touted by the president himself and Democratic candidates on the campaign trail as one of their biggest legislative wins.The law provided federal funding for long-awaited upgrades for bridges and tunnels, highways, and rail infrastructure, among other projects.Biden aims to set himself apart from former President Donald Trump on the issue. In 2016, Trump ran on enacting a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ceos-business-leaders-tax-cuts-regulations-infrastructure">broad infrastructure plan</a>, but during his term in the White House, he never proposed a workable bil for lawmakers.Still, Biden has hit a wall on the issue ahead of the November election, as some voters remain skeptical of the law's effectiveness — while a significant slice isn't giving him much credit for it at all.A Politico-Morning Consult Poll conducted in April showed that 40% of registered voters gave Biden the edge on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/08/poll-biden-infrastructure-clean-energy-laws-00155717">infrastructure upgrades and job creation</a>, while 37% of respondents gave Trump the advantage. And in the seven <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/battleground-states-2024-presidential-election-road-white-house-2022-12">battleground states</a>, Biden's edge over Trump on the issue was just six points (42% to 36%).

Ted Cruz says Biden is breaking the law by taking credit for infrastructure projects

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President Joe Biden has struggled to make his infrastructure success resonate with voters.</li><li>Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told the Times that many voters simply aren't plugged into DC.</li></ul>When Gretchen Whitmer first ran for the Michigan governorship in 2018, she pledged to "fix the damn roads."The slogan stuck and was a big part of Whitmer's winning campaign that year. So she knows a lot about effective political messaging.In a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/22/magazine/gretchen-whitmer-interview.html">interview with The New York Times</a>, Whitmer was asked why President Joe Biden has so far struggled to earn widespread credit for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-laws-us-infrastructure-invest-funding-2024-3">$1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law</a> among voters.Her response? Voters have been worn out by the pandemic and many just haven't been tuned in to what's happening in Washington."I think the pandemic's taken a toll. People are stressed out," Whitmer told the Times. "They're just trying to pay the grocery bill, get the kids off to school, show up at their job, and maybe get a little bit of sleep at night. They're not consuming everything."Whitmer, a cochair of Biden's reelection campaign and a figure often touted as a potential <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-reelection-democrats-harris-newsom-whitmer-klobuchar-booker-cooper-moore-2024-2">2028</a> presidential candidate, remarked that Democrats have to go out and effectively speak with voters about the merits of the infrastructure overhaul and laws like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chips-act-bill-to-boost-us-chipmaking-competition-with-china-2022-7">CHIPS Act</a> — which was crafted to turbocharge semiconductor manufacturing in the United States."We've got to tell that story better," the governor added.Biden counts the infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021 as one of his crowning political achievements.But voters in recent surveys have only given him a slight edge on the issue compared to Trump — who floated infrastructure reforms numerous times during his presidency but failed to produce a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ceos-business-leaders-tax-cuts-regulations-infrastructure">concrete framework</a> for lawmakers.In a Politico-Morning Consult poll conducted in April, 40% of registered voters said Biden had done more on <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/08/poll-biden-infrastructure-clean-energy-laws-00155717">infrastructure upgrades and job creation</a>, while 37% of respondents selected Trump.

Gretchen Whitmer says Biden isn't getting credit for the infrastructure law because voters are 'stressed out'

India's corporate credit landscape is showing positive trends that are expected to persist, according to a recent report by <keyword id="19990557" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SP-Global" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="S&amp;P Global" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="S&amp;P Global">S&amp;P Global</keyword>. The report highlights strengthening credit quality across various sectors, driven by enhanced <keyword id="20994126" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-discipline" source="keywords">financial discipline</keyword>, broad-based <keyword id="19899597" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earnings-growth" source="keywords">earnings growth</keyword>, and robust liquidity profiles. S&amp;P Global's analysis reveals that one in three ratings within India now shows a positive outlook, marking a significant shift after three years of net positive rating actions. The report indicates that corporate India has built greater resilience against downside risks, reflecting a more stable and robust credit environment. However, corporate leverage in India is expected to decline marginally, even as capital expenditure (capex) rises by 30% compared to pre-pandemic levels. This improvement is attributed to more entrenched financial discipline among companies, which have managed to balance rising capex with prudent financial management. The report forecasts a 10% growth in aggregate EBITDA in 2024, driven by strong performance in sectors such as telecommunications, airports, commodities, and chemicals. This broad-based earnings growth underscores the resilience of corporate India and its ability to generate substantial cash flows despite a challenging global environment. Indian companies are benefiting from strong onshore liquidity and the absence of large debt maturities, which support their liquidity profiles. The resilience of these companies to foreign exchange and interest rate volatility further strengthens their liquidity positions. Corporate India's positive credit trends are closely linked to broader economic drivers such as GDP growth. Increased consumer spending is bolstering sectors like airports, automobiles, and telecommunications. Meanwhile, infrastructure investment is significantly boosting the commodities, utilities, and commercial automotive sectors. S&amp;P Global notes that both infrastructure and non-infrastructure sectors are experiencing reductions in leverage, with absolute debt reduction more pronounced in non-infrastructure sectors. However, infrastructure entities are slower in reducing debt due to higher capex, particularly in energy transition initiatives. Operating cash flows across sectors are outpacing capex, supporting further deleveraging. While capex intensity remains higher in infrastructure sectors, the neutral free operating cash flow is seen as a positive trend, indicating that companies are managing their capital expenditures efficiently while maintaining cash flows. The transportation infrastructure sector is benefiting from traffic growth and tariff increases, with rising cargo volumes supporting port revenues and improved operating efficiencies boosting margins. Airports are also experiencing higher traffic levels and tariff increases, contributing to better operating cash flows and overall credit quality. In the utilities sector, rising demand and new capacity are driving earnings growth, though capex remains high, particularly for energy transition projects. The steel sector is expected to see increased operating cash flow due to falling input prices and new capacity additions. Earnings in the oil and gas sector are expected to remain stable, supported by a favorable price outlook and consistent production levels. The telecom sector is also on a path to significant deleveraging, with capex expected to moderate following the 5G auctions in 2023. The auto sector is witnessing sustained operating performance as volumes stabilize after the supply chain disruptions of 2022. S&amp;P Global notes that debt levels in the auto sector are expected to remain low following sharp deleveraging, while normalized growth in auto sales and stable margins support the sector's positive outlook. In the chemicals sector, falling input costs and stabilized product prices are expected to drive earnings recovery following a downturn in 2023. Improved signals show a broader trend of recovery across various industrial sectors in India. S&amp;P Global concludes that with the highest proportion of positive credit outlooks in the region, India's corporate sector is well-positioned for continued <keyword id="22758432" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-quality-improvement" source="keywords">credit quality improvement</keyword>. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/saraswati-saree-depot-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112457330.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/saraswati-saree-depot-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112457330.cms" target="_blank">Saraswati Saree Depot IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank">India’s wearables market decline for the first time as smartwatch shipments fall</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank">Ola wants to re-enter the quick commerce business to take on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart</a>

India's corporate credit quality is getting stronger: S&P Global

<keyword id="7457881" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="private-credit" source="Orion">Private credit</keyword> deployments are likely to surpass the $10 billion mark in 2024, a report by a consultancy firm EY said on Wednesday. The January-June period saw private credit transactions of over $6 billion in 96 deals, and the last two-and-a-half years have seen over $20 billion being deployed in the emerging alternative serving the credit needs of Indian companies. Major deals were witnessed across real estate, infrastructure, and healthcare sectors in the first half of the year, the report by EY said. Domestic funds are gaining traction and market share in the private credit space leveraging local expertise and the influence of lower-cost domestic money, it said. The first half of the year saw <keyword id="23077048" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-logistics" source="keywords">Reliance Logistics</keyword> and Warehousing, Vedanta Semiconductors, and Matrix <keyword id="19933821" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pharma" source="keywords">Pharma</keyword> collectively raising approximately $1.3 billion, while real estate sector continued to be a focal point with borrowers such as <keyword id="20197996" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="prestige-group" source="keywords">Prestige Group</keyword>, <keyword id="21275229" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="puravankara-group" source="keywords">Puravankara Group</keyword>, Kalpataru Group, and Shapoorji Group being active. The firm's partner Bharat Gupta said private credit investments are at an all-time high, driven largely by growth-oriented strategies. "The outlook remains promising, though thorough due diligence and effective deal oversight are crucial to maximizing returns and managing potential risks," Gupta added. With the maturing of the system, there is a subtle shift towards performing credit deals in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> with funds increasingly engaging in sub-18% <keyword id="22335519" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="internal-rate-of-return" source="keywords">Internal Rate of Return</keyword> (IRR) transactions, the report said. In the high-yield segment, mergers and acquisitions/buyout deals, and bridge-to-initial public offering transactions have gained traction within private credit funding, it said. High-net-worth investors and family offices are increasingly participating in private credit as a key asset class, boosting the popularity of domestic funds, it added.

Private credit deals to touch $10 billion in 2024, says EY report

The <keyword id="20018890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-infrastructure" source="keywords">digital infrastructure</keyword> has made the <keyword id="20572901" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="loan-sanctioning" source="keywords">loan sanctioning</keyword> system adopt an online mode, but the <keyword id="21614839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="loan-recovery" source="keywords">loan recovery</keyword> still requires a 'feet on the street' approach, says <keyword id="20506781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="swaminathan-j" source="keywords">Swaminathan J</keyword>, Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Speaking at a media event in Mumbai, the deputy Governor of RBI noted that with the digital infrastructure at place, many <keyword id="22721545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fintech-players" source="keywords">fintech players</keyword> are giving loans to customers with poor credit profiles, and up on default, use aggressive recovery tactics. "While loan sanctioning and disbursement have become increasingly digital, effective collection and recovery still require a 'feet on the street' and empathetic approach. Many fintech platforms operate on a business model that involves extending <keyword id="22791879" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="small-value-loans" source="keywords">small-value loans</keyword> to customers who often have a poor credit profiles" said the deputy governor. He emphasized that the business model of many fintech platforms involves offering small-value loans to customers who often have poor credit profiles. This has led to the adoption of aggressive recovery strategies, which on many occasions also crosses ethical boundaries. He also highlighted one particularly concerning practice that involves the invasion of customers' privacy, where recovery agents access the personal data and contacts of borrowers and use that as a threat practice. Swaminathan cautioned that such tactics not only infringe on individuals right to privacy, but also risk damaging the reputation of regulated lenders associated with these fintech platforms. He also highlighted RBI's regulations on outsourcing, that even though regulated financial entities delegate certain activities to third parties, they remain ultimately accountable for the actions of their outsourced agents. The deputy governor also noted that the digitisation allows banks and NBFCs to leverage data for greater insights into their customers' requirements and behaviour, which can be used for developing bespoke products apart from facilitating better risk management and compliance. He stated that the role of RBI as a regulator is to establish guardrails or a balanced framework that encourages innovation while ensuring that risks are managed prudently. The deputy governor also indicated the primary goal of RBI is to ensure the stability and integrity of the financial system and not to hinder business operations.

Loan sanctioning has gone digital, but recovery still needs a 'feet on the street' approach, says RBI Deputy Governor

New Delhi: <keyword id="19902194" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anil-Ambani" source="keywords">Anil Ambani</keyword> is reviewing a <keyword id="20738747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sebi-order" source="keywords">Sebi order</keyword> imposing a fine and banning him from capital markets for five years in an alleged fund diversion case and will take appropriate next steps as legally advised, his spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. <keyword id="19898589" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ambani" source="keywords">Ambani</keyword>, the spokesperson in a statement said, had resigned from the board of <keyword id="21260537" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Infrastructure-Ltd" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Infrastructure Ltd" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Reliance Infrastructure Ltd">Reliance Infrastructure Ltd</keyword> and Reliance Power Ltd, pursuant to Sebi's interim order dated February 11, 2022 in the matter pertaining to Reliance Home Finance Ltd. He "is in compliance with the said interim order (of February 11, 2022) for the last two and half years," the statement said. On the August 22 order that banned him and 24 others from the securities market for five years on charges of diversion of funds, the spokesperson said, "Mr Ambani is reviewing the final order dated August 22, 2024 passed by Sebi in the said matter, and will take appropriate next steps as legally advised." The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had also imposed a fine of Rs 25 crore on Ambani, saying he orchestrated a scheme to "siphon off" funds from Reliance Home Finance, a listed subsidiary of conglomerate <keyword id="20479923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Group" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Reliance Group">Reliance Group</keyword> of which he is chairman. The ban means that he and the other 24 will not be able to access the securities market and are prohibited from buying, selling or otherwise dealing in securities, directly or indirectly. In a separate statement, Mumbai-listed Reliance Infrastructure Ltd said it "was not a noticee or party to the proceedings before Sebi in which the order is passed. No directions are given in the order against Reliance Infrastructure Ltd". "Mr Ambani had resigned from the board of directors of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd pursuant to the interim order dated February 11, 2022 passed by Sebi in the same proceedings. Therefore, the order dated August 22, 2024 passed by Sebi has no bearing whatsoever on the business and affairs of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd," it said. Reliance Power, the other listed company of Anil Ambani's group, also issued a similar statement saying Ambani had resigned in 2022 and that the latest Sebi order has no bearing on it. Sebi in the August 22 order had stated that a "fraudulent" scheme "siphoned off" funds from Reliance Home Finance, which provides loans for housing and construction, by structuring them as loans to credit-unworthy borrowers. Most of these borrowers were linked to "promoters", the regulator had said. Anil Ambani and his elder brother Mukesh had in July 2006 split their father Dhirubhai Ambani-created Reliance Industries Ltd. Anil Ambani's Reliance Group spanned financial services, infrastructure and telecommunications while the elder brother got the traditional oil refining and petrochemicals business. Over the last few years, Anil Ambani has seen three of the largest firms within the group, including Reliance Communications, Reliance Capital, and Reliance Infrastructure, undergoing bankruptcy over unpaid debt. Sebi has charged that more than Rs 9,000 crore worth of loans from Reliance Home Finance were made to "nondescript borrowers who had no demonstrable financial ability to repay any of it". The other 24 banned include executives of Anil Ambani's Reliance Group and other unlisted companies connected to him.

Anil Ambani reviewing SEBI order, to take appropriate steps: Statement

<keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Tuesday announced a <keyword id="20274081" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-guarantee-scheme" source="keywords">credit guarantee scheme</keyword> for facilitating <keyword id="22087606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="term-loans" source="keywords">term loans</keyword> for <keyword id="19910977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MSMEs" source="keywords">MSMEs</keyword> to purchase machinery and equipment without collateral or third-party guarantee. In her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha, she said the Budget provides special attention to micro, small &amp; medium enterprises (MSMEs) and manufacturing, particularly labour-intensive units. "We have formulated a package, covering financing, <keyword id="20961204" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="regulatory-changes" source="keywords">regulatory changes</keyword> and technology support for MSMEs to help them grow and also compete globally, as mentioned in the interim budget," she said. The credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs in manufacturing will operate on the pooling of credit risks of such entities. "A separately constituted self-financing guarantee fund will provide, to each applicant, guarantee cover up to Rs 100 crore, while the loan amount may be larger," the minister announced in the Budget. The borrower will have to provide an upfront guarantee fee and an annual guarantee fee on the reduced loan balance. She also announced a new mechanism for facilitating the continuation of bank credit to MSMEs during their stress period. Sitharaman said that while being in the 'special mention account' (SMA) stage for reasons beyond their control, MSMEs need credit to continue their business and avoid getting into the NPA stage. "Credit availability will be supported through a guarantee from a government-promoted fund," she added. In another move to help MSMEs, the minister announced a new assessment model for credit to the sector. She said public sector banks will build their in-house capability to assess MSMEs for credit, instead of relying on external assessment. "They will also take a lead in developing or getting developed a new credit assessment model, based on the scoring of digital footprints of MSMEs in the economy," she added. The new assessment model, she said, is expected to be a significant improvement over the traditional assessment of credit eligibility based only on asset or turnover criteria. It will also cover MSMEs without a formal accounting system. Mohammad Athar (Saif), partner and leader capital projects and infrastructure development, PwC India, said the credit guarantee scheme and <keyword id="22514802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce-export-hubs" source="keywords">e-commerce export hubs</keyword> for MSMEs will enable demand creation and boost India's aspiration of achieving USD 1 trillion in exports by 2030, driven by MSMEs. Sitharaman also announced that to enable MSMEs and traditional artisans to sell their products in international markets, e-commerce export hubs will be set up in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. These hubs, under a seamless regulatory and logistic framework, will facilitate trade and export-related services under one roof. Vivek Jalan, Partner, Tax Connect, a multi-disciplinary firm, said, as requested by the trade and industry bodies and laid down by the Economic Survey, for MSME businesses, the compliance burden is also sought to be relaxed. Litigations will be reduced in the new <keyword id="22517694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vivaad-Se-Vishwas-Scheme" source="keywords">Vivaad Se Vishwas Scheme</keyword>, he added. Rumki Majumdar, Economist, Deloitte India, said the credit guarantee schemes for MSMEs in the <keyword id="19955573" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing-sector" source="keywords">manufacturing sector</keyword>, facilitating term loans for the purchase of machinery, and formulating packages to finance technology support to them will go a long way to providing access to finance and increasing investments, which have been key challenges in the sector.

FM announces credit guarantee scheme, other measures for MSMEs

On Monday, July 22, Finance Minister <keyword id="22504403" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmal-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmal Sitharaman</keyword> tabled the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="economic-survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> 2023-24 in the parliament ahead of the much-awaited budget 2024 tomorrow. In addition to a socio-economic stock take, the comprehensive report also outlines the strides India has made on the environment and climate fronts last year. India is in a weird grey area when the climate blame-game is concerned. We continue to average some of the lowest per capita CO2 emissions in the world. But, being the most-populous country in the world, these small bits add up to make India the third-largest emitter of CO2 in the world, after China and the United States. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111923746" title="Economic Survey 2023-2024 highlights emerging job trends in AI, Cybersecurity, 3D Printing and Web Development" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, this is not to say that the country has been sitting the green transition out either. As highlighted in the Economic Survey, India has been making notable strides in tackling climate change and promoting <keyword id="19895783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainability" source="keywords">sustainability</keyword> — efforts that will be crucial to protect billions in the coming years and decades. Let's take a look at these efforts and compare them with findings from other recent environmental reports to see the full picture. <h2><keyword id="21818512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emission-intensity" source="keywords">Emission intensity</keyword> reduction</h2>The economic survey proudly states that India has reduced the emission intensity of its GDP by 33% from 2005 levels by 2019. This means the country is producing less greenhouse gas for every unit of economic activity. This is a commendable achievement because India’s original climate change target — or Nationally Determined Contribution — was set to precisely 33% reduction of emission intensity by 2030, before being revised to 45% in 2022. While the jump from 33% to 45% is still a significant one with barely half a decade to go, this progress is a clear sign that India’s climate policies are having a real impact. <h2><keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">Renewable energy</keyword> capacity</h2>According to the economic survey, 45.4% of India’s installed electricity generation capacity — which includes solar, wind, and hydropower — now comes from non-fossil sources, as of May 31, 2024. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111774972" title="Economic Survey shows India&amp;#39;s energy needs to grow 2.5x, healthy growth in formal employment" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>As per reports by the Ministry of New &amp; Renewable Energy, India added a record renewable energy capacity of 18.48 GW in 2023-2024, with solar installations amounting to 12.78 GW, followed by 2.27 GW of wind energy. However, industry experts have also noted that India Inc. cannot afford to run out of steam now, and must continue to add at least 50 GW for the next six years to meet the target of 500 GW of renewables by 2030. <h2>Indian energy needs</h2>India's energy needs are expected to grow 2 to 2.5 times by 2047, as per the latest economic survey. This necessitates a balanced approach to <keyword id="19951336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="energy-transition" source="keywords">energy transition</keyword> that considers resource limitations and the need for resilience to climate change. India has suffered from an overdependence on coal and fossil fuels in the past, accounting for around 75% of total energy generation in 2021, as per the Energy Information Administration. However, this number has been quickly falling, even dropping below a historic 50% in Q1 2024. <h2>Sovereign <keyword id="20177085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-bonds" source="keywords">green bonds</keyword></h2>To fund green projects, India issued Rs 16,000 Crore in sovereign green bonds — financial instruments that support green projects at lower capital costs — in early 2023 and another Rs 20,000 Crore later in the year, the economic survey reports. As per the government, these proceeds were utilised in many eco-friendly projects, such as New and Renewable Energy, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Housing and Urban Affairs, Railways. To widen the investor base, the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) also recently permitted eligible foreign investors to invest in such bonds. <h2>Mission LiFE and Green Credit Programme</h2>The survey also talks extensively about Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which promotes sustainable living, and the Green Credit Programme (GCP), which incentivises eco-friendly actions by offering “green credits”. In the past few months, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and a few other states have reportedly approved thousands of hectares of degraded forest land for greening exercises as part of the GCP. <h2>International initiatives</h2>India has spearheaded several international initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), One World, One Sun, One Grid (OSOWOG), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States’ (IRIS) and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT). Hundreds of nations are signed up for these climate coalitions and our participation will help reflect India's commitment to advancing global <keyword id="20000756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-action" source="keywords">climate action</keyword> and fostering international cooperation in sustainable development. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111923191" title="Economic Survey 2024 – industries grow by 9.5%, fueling economic growth to 8.2%" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The report even notes that India is currently the only G20 nation who is set not to cross the 2°C warming threshold. All in all, India’s economic survey and environmental reports together show a nation making impressive progress in combating climate change and advancing sustainability. These achievements will hopefully set a strong example for other countries to follow.

On the right track — Economic Survey 2023-24 outlines India’s commendable climate action

<ul><li>India's real GDP grew at around 8.2% in real terms in Fy24: Economic Survey </li><li>Retail inflation dipped to 5.4% in FY24, notes Economic Survey</li><li>Unemployment dipped to 3.2% in FY24</li></ul><keyword id="19912360" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister-Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> is set to present the union budget on 23rd July, at 11 am. The budget session is scheduled to last between 22nd July and 12th August. This will be <keyword id="19956941" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FM-Sitharaman" source="keywords">FM Sitharaman</keyword>'s seventh consecutive budget presentation under the third term of <keyword id="20205025" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhartiya-Janata-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bhartiya Janata Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bhartiya Janata Party">Bhartiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP). All budget-related documents will be available at indiabudget.gov.in. You can watch the presentation live on Doordarshan, Sansad TV, and also on various official government YouTube channels. With this budget, Sitharaman will only precede former PM <keyword id="20342248" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Morarji-Desai" source="keywords">Morarji Desai</keyword>, who has presented the highest number of budget (10) till date, followed by <keyword id="22330828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="P-Chidambaram" source="keywords">P. Chidambaram</keyword> with 9 budgets, and Pranab Mukherjee, who has 8 budgets to his credit. In her recent address in parliament, Sitharaman noted that significant social and economic decisions will be a highlight of this budget. Notably, she concluded <keyword id="901788" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pre-budget-consultations" source="Orion">pre-budget consultations</keyword>, which began on June 19th, on July 5th, where she met 20 invitees across 10 groups, including representatives from agriculture, skill development, finance and banking, energy, <keyword id="17408" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infrastructure" source="Orion">infrastructure</keyword> sector and more. <h2>Key expectations from Budget 2024</h2>Experts note that this budget will mainly focus on improving consumption, and boosting <keyword id="174143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="infrastructure-development" source="Orion">infrastructure development</keyword>. Per reports, the government is also mulling raising the threshold of standard deduction under income tax regimes from the present Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Additionally, to boost healthcare accessibility for the underserved in the country, the government is also contemplating to double the annual coverage offered under the <keyword id="20097876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayushman-Bharat-health-insurance-scheme" source="keywords">Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme</keyword> from the present Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh over the next 3 years, along with also covering individuals aged over 70. Mr. Tashwinder Singh, CEO &amp; MD, Niyogin Fintech Limited, which offers credit to MSMEs, noted that upcoming regulatory changes should focus on simplifying compliance, taxation policies that encourage entrepreneurship, and incentivise innovations that drive R&amp;D investments. "We hope that the government takes measures to support the lending industry through access to capital and affordable interest rates, enabling entrepreneurs to realize their vision. Furthermore, we look forward to relaxed norms for NBFCs, allowing them to contribute more substantially to the economy. These measures will collectively propel India's economic growth, boost job creation, and position the Indian fintech industry as a strong contender in innovation and entrepreneurship", he continues. As for bolstering green infrastructure and clean energy production, Ms Aditi Balbir, Co-founder, EcoRatings notes that the 2024 union budget should prioritize investments in sustainable infrastructure projects and clean energy solutions, as 70% of greenhouse gas emissions stem from energy, industry, and buildings. "This will create a future-proof foundation for economic growth and help in achieving net-zero targets. Infrastructure is crucial in addressing climate change and meeting diverse societal needs. A transformative overhaul of our current and future infrastructure assets is essential. The budget should introduce financial incentives, such as lower interest rates on loans and dedicated grants, for companies committed to ESG compliance. This will create a clear link between sustainability efforts and economic benefits", she continued. <h2>Focus on Agri-credit, Real Estate in Budget 2024</h2>The government could also raise the target for agricultural loans disbursed during the year by up to 25%, setting the target at Rs 25 lakh crore. The government will also have to revamp the MSP (minimum support price) system in this space, focusing on challenges such as narrow coverage, dipping export competitiveness, discouraging private investment in this space and more. Another area that demands significant attention is real estate. Shubhi Jain, Principal Partner &amp; Head of CRM, Square Yards anticipates significant reforms in the upcoming budget under the new government. Securing industry status will unlock a plethora of legal and administrative benefits, along with much-needed tax incentives. "Also, while government’s focus on affordable housing under PMAY is commendable, recalibrating strategies in light of escalating construction costs is imperative for sustained inclusiveness and effectiveness. Moreover, enhanced tax reliefs and increased deductions on home loans, currently capped at INR 2 lakhs, are pivotal in stimulating demand and supporting prospective buyers", she says. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111946291" title="Union Budget 2024-25 key highlights: Assistance for Nalanda's development as a tourist center" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h2>Short-term outlook positive, notes Economic Survey </h2>FM Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2023-24 in the parliament today, ahead of the budget. The survey noted that the Indian economy had managed to recover and expand in an orderly fashion post the pandemic, with the real GDP growing by 8.2% in FY24. Going ahead, prospects for continued strong growth in FY25 remain robust. India also managed to bring down its current account deficit (0.7% of GDP in FY24), while projecting a 7%+ growth rate in the medium term. On the employment front, the survey noted that AI might moderate India's services export growth by as much as 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points annually over the course of the next decade. As such, greater emphasis and focus is needed on areas like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, cloud computing, big data analytics, augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing, and web and mobile development. The Indian labour market indicators have significantly improved over the past 6 years, with unemployment rates dipping to 3.2% in 2022-23. However, even as net payroll additions to EPFO have doubled over the last 5 years, signaling a healthy formal employment market, job creation and increasing women participation in workforce remain key areas of concern. For all updates and latest information related to the budget, don't forget to follow <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Budget Insider</a>! SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/union-budget-2024-live-updates-finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-key-announcements-23-july/liveblog/111942008.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Union Budget 2024 Live Updates: FM Sitharaman announces internships for 10 million youth in 500 top companies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/loan-limit-under-mudra-scheme-to-be-doubled-to-20-lakh-sitharaman/articleshow/111950024.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Loan limit under MUDRA scheme to be doubled to ₹20 lakh: Sitharaman</a>

Union Budget 2024: When will it be presented, what time, where to watch and what are various sectors expecting?

The Reserve Bank's FI, or <keyword id="20377974" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="financial-inclusion" source="keywords">financial inclusion</keyword> index, which captures the extent of financial inclusion across the country, rose to 64.2 in March 2024, marking growth across all parameters. The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion. "The value of the index for March 2024 stands at 64.2 vis-a-vis 60.1 in March 2023, with growth witnessed across all sub-indices," the Reserve Bank of India (<keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="keywords">RBI</keyword>) said in a statement today. During FY23, the FI Index stood at 60.1. Improvement in <keyword id="18794777" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FI-Index" source="Orion">FI-Index</keyword> is mainly contributed by usage dimension, which further reflects deepening of financial inclusion, it added. The FI-Index comprises three broad parameters -access, which has a 35% weightage, usage, which has a 45% weight and quality, which has a 20% weight. Each of these parameters further consist of various dimensions, which are computed based on a total of 97 indicators. Breaking these parameters ahead, access is made up of 26 indicators, which capture the number of banking outlets NBFCs, and post offices, total number of <keyword id="25450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings" source="Orion">savings</keyword> accounts (including small savings), <keyword id="22348444" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electronic-payment-infrastructure" source="Orion">electronic payment infrastructure</keyword> and more. Usage comprises 52 indicators, which aims to capture the demand side, and is essentially a barometer for understanding how actively financial infrastructure is being utilized in our country by way of savings, <keyword id="6355120" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment" source="Orion">investment</keyword>, <keyword id="35450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance" source="Orion">insurance</keyword>, availing of credit and remittance facilities, etc. And lastly, quality, which consists of 19 indicators, takes into account the efficacy of existing grievance redressal mechanisms and awareness efforts undertaken by stakeholders and more. In August 2021, the central bank said FI-Index has been conceptualized as a comprehensive index, incorporating details of banking, investments, insurance, postal, as well as the pension sector, in consultation with government and respective sectoral regulators. The index is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services, and quality of services. According to RBI, a unique feature of the index is the quality parameter which captures the quality aspect of financial inclusion as reflected by financial literacy, consumer protection and inequalities and deficiencies in services. <h2> India added 4.7 crore jobs in 2023-24, says RBI</h2>In another significant data release during the day, the apex bank of the country noted that India added nearly 4.7 crore jobs during 2023-24, taking the total number of employed people to 64.33 crore, which are spread over 27 sectors covering the entire economy. The number of employed people was 59.67 crore at the end of March 2023, as per the RBI's update on 'Measuring Productivity at the Industry Level-The India KLEMS [Capital (K), Labour (L), Energy (E), Material (M) and Services (S)] Database'. The bank said the annual growth in employment during 2023-24 was 6% compared to 3.2% in the year-ago period. In the last five years, <keyword id="22348445" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-India-KLEMS" source="Orion">the India KLEMS</keyword> database revealed that total employment increased from 53.44 crore in 2019-20 to 64.33 crore during the previous fiscal. The data for financial 2022-23 is a provisional estimate of productivity for the total economy. The 'agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing' employed 25.3 crore individuals, up from 24.82 crore in 2021-22, the fiscal 2022-23 data suggested. Construction, trade, and transport and storage were among the leading employment provider segments in 2022-23. Notably, for the purpose of this database, 27 industries are clubbed together to form 6 major sectors, namely <ul><li>Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing</li><li>Mining and Quarrying</li><li>Manufacturing</li><li>Electricity, Gas and Water supply</li><li>Construction</li><li>Services</li></ul>

You Searched For "Infrastructure credit" and got 13 results

After UPI, RBI set to launch Unified Lending Interface (ULI) for friction-less credit

ANI

Credit card growth experiencing a slowdown, as borrowers struggle to pay back loans

BI India Bureau

Inside Blackstone's growing 'credit juggernaut'

Alex Nicoll

Ted Cruz says Biden is breaking the law by taking credit for infrastructure projects

John L. Dorman

Gretchen Whitmer says Biden isn't getting credit for the infrastructure law because voters are 'stressed out'

John L. Dorman

India's corporate credit quality is getting stronger: S&P Global

ANI

Private credit deals to touch $10 billion in 2024, says EY report

PTI

Loan sanctioning has gone digital, but recovery still needs a 'feet on the street' approach, says RBI Deputy Governor

ANI

Anil Ambani reviewing SEBI order, to take appropriate steps: Statement

PTI

FM announces credit guarantee scheme, other measures for MSMEs

PTI

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